Thermostatically controlled valve



Aug. 26, 1952 E. scHusTl-:R ET AL 2,608,352

THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE Filed Aug. 14, 194s s sheets-sheet 1 www@ mmm

\, EQ/CH sa/0575 v enf/Mavo 0. 6,0756' INVENTORS BYYXQQAM @rra/QMS# Aug. 26, 1952 E. scHusTER ET AL 2,608,352

THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE Filed Aug. 14, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F fe/C'H scf/0:5752

162.9. ,enf/Mau@ 0. @pres INVENToRs BY` M arme/UE# Aug. 26, 1952 E.SCHUSTER ETAL THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE Filed Aug. 14, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented ug. 26, 1952 THERMOSTATICALLY ooNTRoLLED vALvE Erich Schuster, Downey, and Raymond D. Gates,

South Gate, Calif., assignors to Utility Control Company, a corporation ofpCalifpornia Application August 14, 194s, serial Nt.44,3os

This invention relates to thermostatically controlled mechanisms or apparatus, and particularly concerns means employed for automatically shifting a valve from one position. to another through the agency of a heat-sensitive or thermostatically controlled part.

Devices operating on this principle usually employ a disc commonly known as a snap disc. These discs are so constructed that they can maintain themselves in a condition of equilibrium with either side disposed in a convex form. In

1 claim. (o1. 23e-#isi practice, they are mounted so that when a heatcontrolled part presses against the disc on the convex side it will, when pressed beyond a certain point, suddenly snap over to an opposite position in Which the face of the disc that was in a concave condition, assumes a convexly curved condition.

`When such a snap action disc is employed in valves. the disc is usually in axial alignment with the valve, as a result of which it has heretofore been necessary to provide ports for the flow of the uid controlled by the valve, around the edges of the disc. This requirement necessitates increasing the dimensions of the valve casing and complicates the form of cores which must be used in casting the casings of such valves. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a construction for the snap action disc, and for the parts associated with the valve closure, which will enable the fluid passing through the valve to ilow directly through thesnap action disc, and the port or ports associated with the valve-seat.

` lThere are many specific applications that could be made for this snap action disc having these have illustrated the disc as applied to tWo types of thermostatically controlled mechanism, in one of which the disc co-operates with the valve closure and associated parts in such a Way as to effect the movement of the closure relative to the seat so as to control the ilow of fluid through the valve opening, for example, the closing of a valve that is supplying fuel to a furnace or to a heater of any kind when the thermostatically controlled part operates .automatically to effect theclosing of the valve to reduce the quantity of heat being developed by the fuel that is passing through the valve.

Another type of valve is also illustrated, which characteristics; In the present specication I flame should become extinguished. In one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated, the bearer, that is to say,` the member controlledby the' heat-sensitive member of the thermostatic device, presses against the disc adjacent its eX- treme edge, and in the other form the bearer presses against the disc between the edge of the disc and its geometrical centen. but preferably quite close to the edge of the disc.V

The invention consists in thenovel organization of parts co-operating with the disc to enable it to perform its function satisfactorily in a thermostatically controlled mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claim. Y v In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken `through a valve mechanism of the type such as employed for maintaining the water in a storage tank at a substantially constant temperature. A portion of this view is broken away. l Fig.\2 is a side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, butupon a reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken about on the-line 3-3 of Fig; l.

Fig. 4 isa vertical section through two dies, andillustrating .the same operating upon a blank disc; and illustrates the rst step in a method Y that may be employed for producing a disc capable of functioning in snap-action mechanism of our invention. In this View the body portions of the dies are broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section. through the disc after it is taken from the dies illustrated in Fig, 4. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating the dies employed in the next step in the illustrated method of producing this disc.

Fig. 'I `is a horizontal section `through the upper die illustrated in: Fig. 6, taken about on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the completed disc.

Fig. 9 is a developed horizontal section taken on the line 9-.9 of Fig. 8, particularly illlustrating the disposition of the material of the disc operates as a safety device associated with a Vthermostatically controlled valve if i the pilot due .to the use of dies illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6.

Fig. 10 is a rlongitudinal section through a thermostatically controlled valve mechanism, which constitutes a safety shut-off means to close off flow of fuel through a valve in case the pilot flame becomes extinguished. In this view the pilot tube is illustrated partially in elevation.

Fig, ll'is a fragmentary section showing the valve illustrated in Fig. 10, together With parts immediately associated with it, and representing the valve closure in its closed position instead of in its open position as illustrated in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 illustrating a thermostatically controlled valve that is intended to function as an automatic heat control for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a storage tank or the like, heated by a fuel supplied through this mechanism, in these figures the Valve casing I has a Valve chamber 2 formed therein, which is accessible from the exterior by removal of a plug 3 secured in place by a thread connection 4. At the inner end of the valve chamber, a valve-seat 5 is provided, which has an external thread 6 enabling it to be screwed into a threaded socket 1, which socket in the present instance, carries threads which are an extension of the threads 8 which are employed in the thread connection 4. By reason of the fact that the threads for socketing the valve-seat 5 are of the same diameter, and the same number of threads perv inch' as the thread connection 4, it isV not necessary to have the diameter of the outer thread connection 4 larger than the diameter of the valve-seat 5 because thevalveseat 5 can be threaded right int-o the threaded opening for the plug or coverY 3,' and continued right on until it is mounted in its threaded socket in the inner Wall 9 ofthe valve casing.

The valve-seat 5 has a body of disc-form with a plurality of circumferentially disposed ports I ll through which the iiuid such as gas, can flow when the valve closure II is lifted out of Contact with the seat 5. The seat face I2 of the valveseat is preferably provided with an annular rib or bead I3 of substantially conical section, which presents a knife edge against which the inner face of the valve closure II rests when thevalve is in its closed position; The valve lclosure II which is of disc-form, has an integral hub or boss I4 in which a stud I5 is threaded, said stud I5 being guided through the nave I6 of the valve-seat 5.

The inner end of the stud I5 projects beyond the inner face of the Valve-seat 5 and terminates in a filister Il that rests against the central portionof the snap action disc I8. rThe inner Vendr of the valve-seat 5 is preferably formed with a counterbore I9 which is of suicient diameter to enable this counterbore I9 to operate as a socket for holding thev snap disc I8. The disc I8 isvpr'ovided with a plurality of openings 20 that are preferably oir'cumferentially disposed, and which preferably have substantially the same area as the total-area of the ports or openings I0 that have been referred to, and Which are formed in the valve-seat 5.

One the side of the disc I8 remote from theV valve-seat, the valve casing I is provided with a guide bore 2| for a bearer 22. This bearer 22 has a.V plurality of ports or openings 23 through it, which preferably have a total area substantially equal to the total area of the ports IIl and the por'ts- 20 through the snap disc; This bearer has an annular shoulder 24 having the form of a dihedral edge formed by the intersection of two conical faces substantially as shown. This forms a knife edge contact normally resting against the convex faceVV of the' snap disc adjacent to its edge.

The valve casing' I isprovided With suitable means for connecting it up in a fuel line. In the present instance, this is illustrated as including a threaded'inlet 25 with pipe thread to'e'nable a gas connection to be established'for bringing the fuel gas to the valve. After this gas has passed Y cause the disc I8 to snap over to an opposite position when the temperature of the Water in the tank drops to a minimum point at which the thermostatic control will open the Valve closure the bearer 22.

is guided to slide freely through a guide wall 28 so as to enable the filister 29 at its inner end, to rest against the center of the disc or body of The casing I has an extension comprising two' diametrically opposite posts 35 that are integral with an outer wall SI of substantially circular form, and from the inner end of this Wall a neck 32 extends, the innerV end of which has a threaded nipple 33 to screw into a socket in the wall of the tank, Which socket is usually inthe form of a bushing set in an opening in the tank wall. In this way the InvarV rcdZi and its tubular casing 34 which is of a material having a' high coefficient of expansion such as copper, project into the Water or other liquid within the tank. The outer end of the Invar rod 2'! has a thread connection 35 with a plug 36 that is threaded into the outer end of the tubular casing 34. AThe thread 31 on the inner end of thelnvar rod 2T, does not extend to the bottoni of the threaded l opening in the plug ythereby leaving apclearance space 38 at its inner end to insure that the Invar rod can be readily adjusted at its thread 3l to position its lister 29 at the proper location to enable the snap disc I8 tosnap over accurately at the temperature prevailing in the tank to which the deviceA is attached.

In order toV expose substantially the entire length of the tube 3ft (which is usually of copper) to the Water in the tank, the neck 32 is preferably provided with a bore 39 of considerably larger diameter than the tube, to permit the Water in the' tank toextend up substantially to the location of the wall SI of the valve casing.

Between the posts 39 a clearance space 40 is formed, in which an adjusting arm 4I may be provided for orienting the Invarrod 21 on the location of its axis to adjust its lister 29 as desired. This arm 4I carries a set screw or small belt 42 for rigidlyV securing it to the rod, and the end of the 'arm projects out from the clearance space 48 and has a laterally extending finger 43' that moves along a scale 44 formedon the adjacent end of the casing I, which is of substantially cylindrical shape.

j lf desired, the Wall 28 may be provided with a bore onits face to receive packing I5A which may, if desired, be heldin the socket by means of a small coil spring 45, the outer end of which Vthrusts against the side of the hub of the arm 4I.

In the present instance, the means illus- 'stainless steel known to the trade under the number 420. This steel is very adaptable to our purpose. A blank is rst punched out from this stainless steel and formed with the openings 20. This blank is then pressed between two dies 49 and 50 to give the material of the disc a permanent set in a concavo-convex form such as indicated in Fig. 5. The radius of the cooperating spherical faces 5I and 52 of these dies is preferably approximately a two inch radius. And after the dies have been forced together in a press, the disc is removed, whereupon it will be found that the disc will then assume a concave-convex form, the curvature of its faces being approximately to a four inch radius. The presense of the openings 2U greatly increases the facility of this disc in snapping between its two positions of equilibrium, and particularly when used in co-operation with other `features of the disc which will presently be described. The presence of the perforations is advantageous because it increases the flexibility of the disc in snapping over between its two extreme positions and this is probably due to the absence of the metal at the place where the perforations are formed. In other words, the area of the perforations can reduce when the disc is snapping over from one extreme position to the other.

After removing the disc from the dies 49 and 50, it is placed between two dies such as the dies 53 and 54. The latter die has a spherical concave face 55 disposed substantially on a four inch radius, that is to say, approximately the same radius as the curved faces assumed by the disc after it leaves the dies shown in Fig. 4. The upper die 53 is formed with a plurality of downwardly projecting abutments or posts 56 preferably having substantially the cross-section illustrated in Fig. 7. The bottom faces 51 of these posts are curved to substantially the same radius as the concave face 55 of the lower die. With the die 53 in place, we subject it to a considerable blow with a trip-hammer or any equivalent means. This blow is suiiicient to reduce the thickness of the metal in the disc at the areas that are in contact with the bottom faces of the posts 56. When the disc is placed between the dies 53 and 54, the openings 20 of the disc are preferably placed in substantial radial alignment with the posts 56.

As a. result of the blow struck upon the upper side of the die 53, the thickness of the metal at the areas 58 that are located in line with the openings, will be considerably reduced. This reduction is indicated in Fig. 9. A portion of the metal at these areas, is forced laterally so as to produce small ridges 59 between which the thickness of the metal is substantially the same as that in the original disc.

In Figs. and 11 we illustrate another application of this snap action disc in an organization that will operate as a safety shut-off valve. In this type of mechanism, if a pilot flame becomes extinguished, the valve closure that is normally open so as to maintain supply to the burner. will shut automatically. Referring to these gures, the pilot flame at 60 keeps the tube 5| heated, in an elongated state corresponding to its temperature. If the flame at 60 becomes extinguished, the tube Bl will shorten and shift the Invar rod 62 toward the left. This will shift the bearer 63 toward the left in its guide bore 64. In the present instance, the annular lip or bead B5 on the bearer, engages the edge of the disc 66 near its extreme edge, and near this bead but toward the center of the disc, an annular ridge 61 operates as the fulcrum vto resist the pressure on the edge of the disc. This will cause the disc 55 to reverse itself and snap over to an oppositerposition such as that indicated in Fig. 11. This of course permits the coil spring 68 that biases the valve closure 69 toward its closed position, to move the valve closure against the valve seat 10 that holds the valve against the annular bead or rib ll. In this adaptation of the invention as well as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the iiow of the gas past the valve closure occurs directly through the valve-seat l0, through circumferentially disposed ports 12 in the same, which have substantially the same area as the circumferential openings 13 in the disc 66, which is also substantially the same as the area of the openings or ports 74 in the bearer 63. The flow of gas is up through the inlet 'l5 and from the delivery chamber 'I6 in the valve casing Tl to and through the outlet 18.

The pilot tube 'i9 communicates with this chamber 76 as indicated. The valve closure 69 is centered and guided by the same means as illustrated in the valve shown in Fig. l, and the valve chamber 80 is `closed by a removable cap 8| similar to the cap or plug 3 described in connection with Fig. 1.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

In a thermostatically-controlled valve mechanism for controlling flow of a fluid, the combination of a valve-casing having a Valve-seat with a valve port, a valve-closure guided to move relative to said seat so as to control iiow of the fluid through the port, a perforated snap-action disc mounted in said casing, a bearer with perforations therethrough having a part for engaging the disc adjacent its edge, means for guiding the bearer to enable it to exert a thrust force against said disc, and heat-sensitive means for exerting force on said bearer to cause said disc to snap over and move said valve-closure at a predetermined temperature t0 which the heat sensitive means is subjected, said valve-casing having an inlet and an outlet between which the fluid flows, so as to pass through the perforations in the disc and the bearer.

ERICH SCHUSTER. RAYMOND D. GATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,744,465 Grayson Jan. 21, 1930 1,926,000 Dougherty Sept. 5, 1933 1,977,656 Vaughn Oct. 23, 1934 1,994,470 Grayson Mar. 19, 1935 2,137,617 Imes et al. Nov. 22, 1938 2,166,239 Davis July 1B, 1939` 2,216,510 Burns Oct. 1, 1940 2,236,908 Jackson Apr. 1, 1941 2,253,552 Burch Aug. 2.6, 1941 2,327,582 Dougherty Aug. 24, 1943 2,427,756 West Sept. 23, 1947 

